How to Become a Mobile App Developer

 

If you are like most people today, using applications on your smartphone has probably become an everyday thing that you barely give any thought to. Whether you are messaging friends and family, planning and tracking your meals, shopping, setting timers, learning new skills, banking and investing money, checking your emails, and much more, it seems like there is an app for absolutely everything today. With the growing demand for smartphone apps, mobile app development is a skill that has become more relevant and in-demand than ever before in the world today.

 

What is Mobile Development?

Mobile app development refers to the process of writing software for mobile devices. In this role, developers have the chance to build an application from scratch, often in a relatively short period due to the high demand. If there is a gap in the market for a certain app, developers often have to act quickly since hundreds of new apps are being developed every day.

 

Mobile app developers will need to learn a specific set of skills based on the operating system that they generally develop apps for. There are two main operating systems, Apple iOS, and Google Android OS. There are other smartphones and mobile devices with different operating systems, but they make up only a very small percentage of the market today.

 

Mobile app developers often start with learning how to work with one operating system and then go on to learn the other one as they progress. The ability to work with both Apple and Android operating systems makes developers more competitive in the job market and opens up more opportunities for work.

 

Why is Mobile Development So Important Today?

While mobile app development might not seem like one of the most important roles in the world at first glance, the work that mobile app developers do is actually becoming more and more crucial today. Without mobile apps, many of us would struggle to do our jobs as efficiently and some businesses would fail to reach their full potential, especially in the case of eCommerce businesses that tend to get much more traffic on their shopping app than their website, like Amazon.

 

What Does a Mobile App Developer Do?

The role of a mobile app developer involves designing, creating, maintaining, and updating mobile applications on both iOS and Android. They will often work closely with user experience (UX) designers to ensure that the app design is in line with user needs and preferences. Working as a team, both developers will create app mock-ups, test the design and functionality, and coordinate with business leaders when it comes to launching strategies.

 

Types of Mobile App Developers:

Today, there are two main mobile app developer roles: iOS developer and Android developer. Some developers have the skills to develop apps for both.

 

iOS developers will build, test, maintain and update mobile applications for use on iOS powered devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. They will use technologies such as Swift, the primary programming language for iOS apps, and Xcode, the main development environment that is used to build these applications. iOS developers are tasked with designing apps for Apple devices from the ground up.

 

On the other hand, Android developers are working with the most popular mobile OS worldwide. They are responsible for developing apps for devices that run on Android OS, testing code for edge cases, and maintaining general usability.

 

Both types of mobile development can lead to lucrative job opportunities and attractive salaries.

 

How to Become a Mobile App Developer:

The tech industry is constantly evolving and growing, and there are lots of entry points to consider if you have decided to pursue a career in mobile app development. First of all, it's important to choose the right learning path for you. With more than one way to learn mobile development, it's down to you to decide which way is going to be the best way for you to learn, be most affordable and viable for you, and get you the qualifications that you need for your resume.

 

Some mobile app developers will take the traditional route, getting a relevant bachelor's degree before potentially going on to earn an advanced degree. Others already have a bachelor's degree in another subject and choose to take a route such as getting an online masters in computer science for non CS majors from Baylor University. On the other hand, some mobile app developers are completely self-taught, with skills and expertise but no formal computing or coding qualifications. Another popular alternative is to attend a coding bootcamp, which generally lasts for several months and provides students with all the skills that they need to successfully launch their tech career and build a portfolio of projects designed to showcase their skills to potential employers.

 

Choosing a Platform as a Mobile App Developer:

When becoming a mobile app developer, one of the main questions to ask is whether you will be focusing on either Android or iOS app development. You can certainly start out with one and then learn the other, and when it comes to skill level, both are around the same.

 

Android has the global market share and reach, while both iOS and Android have a similar amount of market share in the US. iOS does tend to be one of the most popular choices for tech enthusiasts and early adopters and is also the best choice for developers who want to earn money from their app using in-app purchases.

 

`The main difference between the two is the different programming language that is used. iOS development is mostly done using Swift or Objective-C, while Android coding typically uses Java. Because of this, your choice of OS to develop for might be down to which language you are already most experienced with. If you have experience with any of the C languages, iOS will usually be easier to get into, while Java coders will usually choose Android.

 

With an app for everything today, getting into a career in mobile app development can be a very lucrative and rewarding choice.